Supreme Court to hear petition against Sonia Gandhi for playing communal card

The Supreme Court, on 27 October, said it will hear the petition filed against Congress president Sonia Gandhi playing a communal card to get votes, after the larger seven-judge Constitution bench will pass its order in the ongoing Hindutva case which deals with electoral malpractices of political parties.

The verdict was given by the top court in the light of the petition filed by Rae Bareli resident Ramesh Singh who has alleged Gandhi for appealing the voters to vote for candidates in the name of religion in her speech.

Court said that since both the matters are similar, it would be incorrect to hear the plea at this stage.

In his petition, Singh alleges that Gandhi is guilty of violating Section 123 (3) of the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1951.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it will not hear the issue that whether communal agenda of a political party can be attributed to a candidate seeking votes or not.

Previously the apex court said it won't reconsider 1995 judgment which defined Hindutva as "a way of life and not a religion."

The top court instead took up a separate plea filed in 1990 whether seeking of votes in the name of religion will amount to a corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act warranting disqualification.